Monthly Archives: April 2012

Housing advocacy organizations are crying foul over a proposed sweep of $50 million from a multistate mortgage settlement, and one group is threatening to sue to stop Gov. Jan Brewer and the Legislature from taking the money intended to ease the effects of a foreclosure crisis that hit Arizona harder than nearly any other state.

The Arizona Senate has reversed itself and approved a proposed ballot measure to declare that the state has sovereignty over the air, water and other natural resources within its boundaries.
The proposed constitutional amendment failed on its initial Senate vote but was approved Monday on a 16-14 vote.

In their latest legal episode, the IRC will be defending itself from allegations that its legislative district plan is the result of a careful and deliberate conspiracy to fix the game for Democrats. On Friday, FAIR Trust attorney Michael Liburdi filed a federal lawsuit charging that the commission went through great lengths to pack GOP legislative districts to maximize Dem chances.

The Senate today approved legislation to prohibit the government from suspending or revoking a person’s professional license for declining to provide a service because of a religious objection.
The measure, SB1365, divided the Senate along party lines: Republicans backed the bill while Democrats opposed it.

The IRC is now facing two lawsuits aimed at obliterating the commission’s legislative and congressional lines. FAIR Trust attorney Mike Liburdi and Lisa Hauser were expected to file lawsuits in state and federal court today challenging the commission’s procedures, its results and raising the possibility of open meeting law violations.

Democrats are hailing first lady Michelle Obama's visit to Tucson as the latest sign that Arizona will be up for grabs in November's presidential election, but Republicans insist that the state will go red just like it has the past three election cycles.
Obama is expected to deliver remarks at a fundraiser in the southern Arizona city on Monday evening as part of a four-state campaign push in the West, with other stops in Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico.